It is very important that every document that you produce and that you have a proper audit trail in place. This matters not just for your own internal analytics and to optimize your internal processes, but also so that you comply with all relevant standards and regulations that govern your industry. One way to achieve that properly is by installing audit trail software, which will basically do everything for you.
What Is Audit Trail Software?
This type of software has been designed to make sure that your company has an easy to use method in place that logs and registers the full history of any document that is produced and any transaction that is made. Only authorized users can access elements of the system in which they can see a file’s history. Those historical records include things such as which actions were taken, who took them, when they took those actions, and even at what time they were completed.
Why Does Audit Trail Software Matter?
There are several reasons why audit trail software matters, not in the least the fact that it enables you to always be aware of the internal functioning of your organization. It enables you to trace back both mistakes and exceptional performances, for instance, which increases the overall efficiency of your business. However, what is perhaps the most important of all, is that you comply with the rules, regulations, and standards that govern your industry.
There are no laws to say that you have to have audit trail software in place, but there are plenty of laws that can lead to your organization being audited. If that happens, and you don’t have any software to produce the records and documents that are requested, you will find an audit hugely time-consuming and very expensive due to the lost working hours. When you have software in place, you will have extensive tracking capabilities available at the touch of a button. This means the resources in terms of time that you have to spend to make sure you pass your audit are far smaller. It is far more likely, in other words, that you will pass your audit successfully if you have this software in place, because it removes the risk of human error and of misplaced information.
By installing this type of software, you will instantly comply with various important standards, including AS9100, FDA 21-CRF11, Sarbanes-Oxley, TQM, QS, and ISO. These may not all apply to you, but it is likely that at least one of them will.
Other Benefits of Audit Trail Software
Key benefits of audit trail software include:
- That you will always have a full documented record of every action that was taken.
- That you will be fully compliant with the regulations and quality standards governing your industry.
- That your organizations will have legal protection because you will have a proven record of what was done following each document.
- That you can filter the audit trail so you are only presented with the files you actually need.
- That you can export the information to be used in your own internal audits as well.
